Governor Susana Martinez: “We’re in a crisis on the Mexican border”

In her visit to the southern border on Thursday, New Mexico Governor Susana Martinez insisted members of the National Guard on the border are necessary for the state.

“We’re in a crisis on the Mexican border,” Martinez said. “With people coming across, with drug trafficking with sex trafficking, people not coming through the appropriate method.

A few weeks after President Donald Trump’s proclamation, Martinez told two dozen reporters that there are now 61 guardsmen on the New Mexico border. After training and background checks, she said there will be 150 on the state’s border, in total.

“It’s a fluid number,” Martinez said, later adding, “they’ll be constant communication with the White House to see what needs to happen.”

The governor said guardsmen will not enforce federal laws. Rather, they will perform vehicle maintenance, communication duties and other activities that don’t relate to immigration enforcement.

“(They’re) a support system,” Martinez said. “The Border Patrol can actually have boots on the ground where they’re supposed to be enforcing the laws.”

Following Trump’s proposal in early April, six democrats in the New Mexico legislature urged Governor Martinez to oppose the president’s proposal.

“We’re the people who actually live here on the border and we want to use our resources smartly,” said Bill McCamley, who represents district 33.

“It’s her prerogative to say this,” said Bill Gomez, who represents district 34.